Philips hosts annual oral health symposiums to discuss and celebrate new research in the area of oral healthcare. Previous symposiums took place in California and Berlin, and were attended by key opinion leaders from around the world.

Click on one of the experts below to watch a short clip from their presentation.

Marko de Jager, PhD - A connected future

Philips is pursuing a novel approach to the continuum of patient
care by focusing on how oral and systemic health can effectively
support healthy lifestyle choices in a ‘connected future’. Philips Oral
Healthcare is working with dental and medical professionals to
address the oral care and lifestyle needs of their patients and help
improve patient treatment outcomes. To learn more about how
Philips initiates and contributes to health and well-being through
meaningful innovation, watch this video of Dr. Marko de Jager from
Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.

Steven Offenbacher, DDS, PhD, M.Msc - Adverse pregnancy outcomes

Increased incidence of low birth weight, preterm birth and preeclampsia have been associated with maternal periodontitis exposure¹. However, the strength of the observed associations is modest and seems to vary according to the population studied the means of periodontal assessment and the periodontal disease classification employed². To learn more about the relationship between periodontitis and pregnancy, watch this video of Dr. Steven Offenbacher from Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.

Bruno Loos, DDS, MS, PhD - Cardiovascular disease

Periodontitis may be associated with an increased risk of development of cardiovascular disease³ ⁴ ⁵. There are several theories about potential mechanisms, including bacteria entering the bloodstream through the mouth and attaching to fatty deposits in the lining of blood vessels, which may contribute to heart
disease⁶. Another theory is that inflammation associated with periodontitis may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis⁷. To learn more about the potential relationships between periodontitis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, watch this video of Dr. Bruno Loos from Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.

Frank Scannapieco, PhD, DMD - Pulmonary disease

Poor oral health appears to influence the initiation and/or progression of several pulmonary diseases, including pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This presentation will provide an overview of the latest information on the connections between poor oral health and aspiration pneumonia, nosocomial-acquired pneumonia, especially ventilatorassociated pneumonia (VAP) and COPD. See what practical advice Frank Scannapiecs has on how to translate findings into everyday practice in this short clip from his presentation at the Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.

Evanthia Lalla, DDS, MS - Diabetes

Patients with uncontrolled diabetes have complications such as increased risk of periodontitis. Periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of developing type II diabetes and may be considered one of the chronic complications of diabetes in general. Periodontitis may also impact the ability to control blood glucose levels in individuals with diabetes⁸ ⁹. To learn more about the relationship between periodontitis and diabetes, watch this video of Dr. Evanthia (Evie) Lalla from Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.

Souvik Sen, MD, MPH - Stroke

Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels and its consequences resulting in ischaemic stroke are the most frequent cause of acute strokes. Periodontitis and the resulting inflammation as a source of chronic and acute infections in distal organs and tissues may be a risk factor of atherosclerotic vascular processes⁷ ¹⁰. The presence of chronic destructive inflammation in the mouth may contribute to the dissemination of bacteria, their virulent factors, various proinflammatory cells, cytokines and immunologically active substances into the blood stream⁷. To learn more about the relationship between periodontitis and stroke, watch this video of Dr. Souvik Sen from Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.

Brian Novy, DDS, FADI - High Fructose Corn Syrup

While media blitzes lead the general public to believe that the body makes no distinction between ingesting high fructose corn syrup or sucrose, the differences between these two sweeteners suggest otherwise. From metabolism to involvement in the caries process, high fructose corn syrup sets in motion a cascade of events beginning in the mouth, and ending in the heart. To find out more about the effects of HFCS, watch this short clip from Brian Novy’s presentation at the Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.

Betsy Reynolds, RDH, MS - High Fructose Corn Syrup

While media blitzes lead the general public to believe that the body
makes no distinction between ingesting high fructose corn syrup or
sucrose, the differences between these two sweeteners suggest
otherwise. From metabolism to involvement in the caries process,
high fructose corn syrup sets in motion a cascade of events
beginning in the mouth, and ending in the heart. To find out more
about the effects of HFCS, watch this short clip from Betsy Reynolds’
presentation at the Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected
Body Symposium.

Maria Goldie, RDH, BA, MS - Women’s health

Women and men have differing healthcare needs, according to research in sex-based medicine. Women have unique needs from puberty through menopause. Oral healthcare professionals need to make balanced, evidence-based decisions regarding management of their female patients. Treatment protocols appropriate for each phase of a women’s life cycle should be considered. To learn more about sex-based considerations, watch this video of Maria Goldie from Philips’ 2014 Oral Health and the Connected Body Symposium.